Casing-spear.



C. T. MAPES.

QASING SPEAR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, l9l5- 1,262,367. Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR c. T. MAPES.

- CASING-SPEAK. APPLICATION FILED mac-1: 1. 1915.

FIBA.

1 721: I Y @fl Patented Apr. 9, 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET UNI CLARENCE 'I. MAPES, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL WELL SUPPLY -COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CASING-SPEAK.

Specification of Zetters Patent.

PatentedApr. 9, 1918.

Application filed December 13, 1915. Serial No. 66,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE T. MAPES, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Grafton, in the county of Allegheny ahd State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasing-Spears, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a spear of improved construction for removing the casing from oil, gas and other wells, wherein the slips are so arranged as to prevent deforming the casing under the great strain incident to maintaining a gripping hold. Thisfeature of the invention is embodied in a plurality of slips which en circle the body and which cooperate with the slip-expanding portion of the latter in such manner that substantially all'portions of the casing interior in the plane ofthe slips are subjected to the same gripping action.

- A further object is to provide automatically trippable slip-sup orting means of improved construction or maintaining the slips in different set positions as may be required for diflerent sizes or weights of cats ing. Still a further object'is to provide improved means for maintaining the slips in position onv the body without retardingthe operation of the slip-supporting means.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spear constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the appliances applied thereto for settingthe same. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the spear in set position as when being lowered in a well casing, and Fig. 3 is a similar View illustrating the position of the parts after the spear has been tripped and its hold on the casing relaxed for removing it from the casing either after the latter has been pulled from the well, or if the casing is too tightly held to be removed by the spear. Figs. 4: and 5 are sectional plan views taken on lines 4-5L and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the spear illus-.

trating a modified arrangement of trip support and support holding latches. Fig. 7

is a sectional plan on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the upper portion of spear body, 2 is of conventional welltool form, being provided with the usual wrench hold 3 and coupling pin 4: for connecting with the tools for lowering and raising the Spear. Beneath the wrench hold the body is formed with the upwardl' tapering slipway 6, which is circular incross-section and at its upper end terminates in the undercut shoulder 7. Beneath slipway 6 the body is of reduced diameter to form stem 8 with its lower extremity threaded at, 8 to receive the rounded and tapered nut-forming head 9, the bore of whichlabove its threaded formation is larger than stem 8, as indicated at 9, .to provide a seat for the lower portion of a stout coiled spring 10. Encircling and movable vertically on stem 8 is collar 11 having its under side recessed at 11 to receive the upper end of the spring. When fully elevated as in Fig. 3 collar 11 is adapted to engage shoulder 12 formed by the lower extremity of slipway 6.

Collar 11 comprises asupport for a plurality. of segmental slips 13, the latter resting thereon and sliclable vertically on slipway 6 and with their inner faces curved to fit the slipway and their outer surfaces formed with serrations 13 usual in this class of devices for obtaining a biting hold on the casing. The slips are of downwardly tapering form so that while their inner surfaces are in engagement with slipway 6 their outer faces are disposed substantially vertical. The upper extremities of the slips are inclined downwardly and outwardly as indicated at 7 to conform with the undercut shoulder 7 whereby when the slips are fully elevated as in Fig. 3 their upper extremities are in a sense pocketed and thus held against outward movement. Similarly, the top face of collar 11 and the bottom extremity of the slips are so beveled that the latter are held contracted when elevated,

wouldbe ineflt'ectiveto move the slips outwardly to disarrange the housed relation. This also permits the use of slips free from interlocking engagement with the slipway, greatly decreasing the cost of manufacture through elimination of the expensive machining-. operations, and alsoreduces liability of the slips sticking.

A split spring metal ring 1% embraces the several slips, being confined in a groove 'formedtherein, holding them contracted on slipw'ay ;6, without, howeveninterfering with their vertical movement, ring 14 not being 'sufhciently strongto 's'nstain the weightof the slips although holding them c'on'trfa'cted,whereby the slips will move with collar 11 either Upwardly or 'd0wnwar'dly as-the casemay be; a y

: Four segmental slips are preferably employed as shown inrig, a withthe slips of each pair in opposed relation at diametricallyfopposite sides of slipw'ay 6. While the invention is notlimi'te'd as to thenun'iber of slips, when two pairs are used the slips of each pe f operate in such opposed 'manner that substantially I portions of the casing within the range of the slipssubjeoted toequal strain when the spear has been set andthe pulling force applied. With the slips and'slipway constructed and arranged as shown the former jmay rotate on 7 the latter, thereby, "in addition to; other vantages, subjecting the engaging surfaces to uniform wear; Also, such 'iorm'ation facilltates the iorming'operat ons, the sllpway being shaped by. turning "and the inner faces of the slips by boring, ai cir ciilar slip blank being salwedinto fourjsegmentsafter it has been provided with the desiredhore, also after turning up the hitingserrations on its outer surface,

In the adaptation sheet in Figs. 1 t0 '5,

collar 11] is {provided with two oi latches or latehbolts 15jcoiifinedin openings 'thereinjb'y perforated plugs 16, a spring- 17 being arranged to hold each latch normally in outwardly jproj ectin g position. The inner extremity'of each latch is notched at 18 whereby each pair ,of opposed latches is adapted to engage the undercut groove 19 in stem 8, 'thereby holding"cellar 11 depressed and the slips in loweredandf'set .positionas in Fig? 1and2', One pa'ir of latches 15 is arranged slightly above the other pain whereby the spear may be set for gripping diff r ent' weight'sof casing, the

o mo t pair being utilized, as inFig, 2, ihgth sllps'inpositi'on a) "grip th heavier or, c er casing, armament perinosti latches are ii'tilized' for holding collar ,ll 19W red andjthe slips expandd somewlfat Ii'nore' as requiredior "the lighter or thinner casing.

, Forjsettiiig the spear, a bar'Q O, ,Fig; "1,

may fberemovably connected to collar 11 arms 2llprovided withpins 22 to engage sockets 23 f in collar 11; A screwf 2 4 bar 20. adapted to V eiig'a gefth'e lower'extremity 0fhead9, whereby upon rot'atlng thescr'e w the collar is depressed and spring 10 conemployed for the purpose which are entered tracted until the desired latches to be set are opposite stem groove 19, whereupon the latches may be projected inwardly byjs'uitable push devices, eye-pins 25 being usually through the latch-confining plugs 16. With the latches pressed inwardly in opposition to their springs 17 and with their undercut extremities 18 entered in groove 19, the hold of screw 2 is relaxed and the latches operate to hold collar 11 in the desired position.- Upon removing the setting mechanism, the spear is" in condition to be lowered in the casing as in Fig; 2 and so long as the downward movement is continued: there is no operation of theparts, the slips sliding downwardly onthe inner face of the casing, being thereby slightly raised fromcollar l1. Having-been lowered to the point where it is desired to grip the easing,-the movement is reversed and imn1ediat'ely u'ponlifting the spear theyimpinge he casingiwith a biting hold, and he ensuing relative upwardmovement of thespear body relaxes the hold of latches 15' and the latter spring outwardly into the released position as in Fig. 3. Further upward movement of 1 the spear body causes slips 13 to obtain uniform hold on all portions of the casing within their range and the casing is withdrawn unless the resistance encountered is too great for the spear or the operating line; If too great, the hold of the spear is released by'simply loweringitsbody, whereupon the hold of slips 13 is relaxed and immediately spring '10 operates to 1 raise the collar and slips into -thecontracted and inoperative position shown in Fig; 3 when the tool may be entirely withdrawn, The same procedure 'ishad when releasing the slips from the casing after the latter has been removedfromthe Well.

In-the embodiment shown in'Fi-gs. 6 and? collar 11- is nohmotaltaloly secured to stem 8jbyspline '26. The several latches 15 are arranged in-thesame plane instead ofpairs thereof in different pla'ne's 'as in the first described adaptation, and stem 8 is formed with two pairs of i depressions "27 with pairs indifferent verticalplanes.v -By this means the c'o'll'ar may be set at different elevatlons as will loo-understood, depending'on the circling'the slips andholdingrthem in en- 'gagment "tvith the body. a and operating" to contract the slips 'o'nthe body when -the latter moves downwardly relatively thereto, the

resilient holding means having such relation to the weight of the slips as to be ineffective to prevent the slips from lowering by gravity, vertically movable spring-raised slip supporting means mounted on the body and adapted when released from depressed position to elevate the slips, and trippable means for holding the supporting means de- I pressed, said body and slip-supporting means being adapted to cooperate with said slips to retain them housed when moving the spear relatively to the casing.

2. In a casing spear, a body portion having a slipway and having a slip-receiving cavity at one end of the slipway, a springsustained member movable axially of the body beyond the opposite end of the slipway, a plurality of slips mounted on and movable axially of the slipway with slips and slipway complementally formed to provide slip expansion and contraction by movements of the slips relative to the slipway, said spring-sustained member having a configuration adapted to act as a housing element for the slips when the latter are located within the body cavity, and means for releasably holding said member in position to permit free movements of the slips on the slipway to expand the slips, the member when released adapted to move the slips to housed position.

3. In a casing spear, a body portion having a slipway and having a slip-receiving cavity at one end of the slipway, a springsustained member movable axially of the body beyond theopposite end of the slipway, a plurality of slips mounted on and movable axially of the slipWay with slips and slipway complementally formed to provide slip expansion and contraction by movements of the slips relative to the slipway, said spring-sustained member having a configuration adapted to act as a housing element for the slips when the latter are located within the body cavity, means for releasably holding said member in position to permit free movements of the slips on the slipway to expand the slips, the member when released adapted to move the slips to housed position, and resilient means for maintaining the slips in contact with the slipway.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE T. MAPES. lVitnesses J. M. NEsBrr, ELLA McCoNNELL.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the -Gommissioncr o1. Patents. Washington, D. 0." 

